NASA experts wanted India to share space technology, says ISRO chief

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman S Somanath on Sunday revealed that NASA-JPL experts wanted India to share its space technology to the US after witnessing the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the lunar surface, said PTI.

“Our country is a very powerful nation. The knowledge and intelligence level in the country is one of the best in the world," the ISRO chief added. 

The ISRO chief stated, “circumstances are different and India is fit for building the best of devices and rockets and due to this PM Modi has opened the sector to private players.”  

NASA experts want India to share its space technology: Statement issued

ISRO Chief Somnath said, "In Chandrayaan-3, when we designed and developed the spacecraft, we invited experts from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA-JPL, who do all the rockets and most difficult missions."

“About six people from NASA-JPL came and we explained Chandrayaan-3 to them. That was before the soft landing. We explained how we designed it and how our engineers made it... and how we are going to land on the Moon's surface, and they just said, 'No comments. Everything is going to be good”. 

“The US space experts asked, 'Look at the scientific instruments, they are very cheap. Very easy to build and they are high technology. How did you build it? Why don't you sell this to America? So you can understand how the times have changed. We are capable of building the best equipment, best devices, and the best rockets in India. That is why our PM has opened up the space sector," he added.

The most powerful tool is to dream, he said, adding, "Kalam sir told you that you should dream when you are awake and not in the night."

“Anybody have such dreams? Anybody want to go to the Moon? When we landed Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the Moon, I declared to PM Modi that India is on the Moon. And he asked when are you going to send an Indian to the Moon. So, some of you sitting here will do that job. Some of you will design the rocket which will go to the Moon," he stated.

ISRO chief S Somnath on Aditya-L1 mission

Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) Chief S Somnath on October 15 announced that the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, India's first solar mission will arrive at the Lagrange Point 1 (L1) by mid-January, revealed ANI.

This mission is supposed to arrive at its objective following a 110-day journey from Earth. Somath in a discussion with correspondents in Tamil Nadu's Madurai said, "Currently, it takes almost 110 days to travel from Earth to the L1 point. So by the middle of January, it will reach the L1 point." He added, "Then at that point, we will do the insertion into the Lagrange Point. That is called the halo orbit. It's a big orbit."

The Aditya-L1 mission was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota on September 2, following the successful Chandrayaan-3 soft landing close to the South pole of the moon. 

The motive of the Aditya-L1 mission is to focus on the outer atmosphere of the Sun, which is a vast sphere of gas. 

ISRO chief also mentioned about his future plans 

The ISRO Chief also talked about the Gaganyaan mission during his discussion. He stated that the Test Vehicle-D1 mission is planned for October 21. He stated that, "the Gaganyaan program requires testing, demonstrating the crew escape system." The purpose of the Gaganyaan project is to prove ISRO’s human spaceflight capabilities by launching a crew of three members into orbit for a three-day mission and getting them back safely to earth by landing in Indian sea waters.

Somnath further said that ISRO has plans for a few more launches in the upcoming months before January, that includes the Gaganyaan unmanned mission, GSLV, SSLV and a PSLV launch.